Classic gameplay for a modern age: Ars reviews Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex ends this year's Summer of Arcade on the Xbox 360 by bringing …

Over the course of the weekend, it took me 5 hours and 15 minutes to see the credits of Shadow Complex—the 3D throwback to Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night from Epic Games that was announced at this year's E3—and in many ways I feel like I have just begun. I haven't found all the items, I haven't seen the entire map, and I've barely mastered all the powers the game grants you in my first playthrough. If you're a completist, if you have a hanking for some classic 2D game play, or if you just want to see how far downloadable titles have come since the launch of the Xbox 360, come Wednesday, you need to put down your $15 and play a very energetic action title that wants you to explore its every shadowy corner.

For someone just looking for a camping trip, our hero is surprisingly well-trained

Title

Shadow Complex

Developer

Chair Entertainment/ Epic Games

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios

Price

1200 Points, or $15

Platform

Xbox 360

The game stars Jason Fleming, a man who will actually call himself an everyman at one point in the game. He also has a past with some fairly intense weapons training, but he decided against military service. His father—in one of those epic bits of foreshadowing—hints that Jason simply may not have anything to fight for quite yet. When he goes on what should be a fun weekend with his girlfriend and they discover a hole in the ground, the adventure begins.

There is something delicious about the setup. You begin with a regular man in a tough spot, and by the end of the game you've turned into a powered-up, insanely powerful killing machine. The way the game segues from brightly colored nature scenes into a high-tech military facility (and back again) is magical, giving the area you're exploring the feel of a real place that makes a sort of crazy sense. Wait until you swim across the surface of the lake for the first time, and then see what's under it a few hours later. I don't want to spoil things for you, but that cabin isn't merely the abandoned home of some unseen fisherman.

The game takes place in two-dimensional space... mostly. You'll also be asked to shoot into the background, and the controls for aiming away from yourself can be awkward at first, but you'll quickly get used to it. The turret sequences are likewise refreshingly short and to the point. The real fun is finding new weapons and powers and using them to unlock new areas of the base as you find out what's going down. Again, talking about the story isn't something I'd like to do, but we find out through background conversations that after the revolution, the Cubs will be the first with their backs to the wall.

What do I need to blow up a purple door again?

In a fun twist, you shine your flashlight onto doors and hidden hatches to reveal their color, showing you what weapon you need to access that part of the base. You'll need your foam gun for some sections, missiles for another, and of course you'll find some underwater gear to explore the underground lakes and rivers. The animation is worthy of a full-priced game, and killing the somewhat bland henchmen is kept fresh with a variety of both weapons-based and hand-to-hand killing animations. You'll level up quicker by killing people in interesting ways, so be sure to keep an eye on your surroundings.

The story offers some twists and turns—some more expected than others—but the voice acting and characters are well above average, especially for a $15 release. There are some corners cut here and there, as the enemies are very similar throughout the entirety of the game, and boss fights tend toward now-familiar walking mech designs, but the real star here is the expertly designed world; it opens like a flower, urging you to explore just one more corner before turning in for the night. You'll have to track down save points, but there are also auto-saves sprinkled around the world, so dying is rarely a frustration.

The end is the beginning is the end

The game falters in its final act, where you're stuck running around a mostly unlocked map trying to track down a series of weapons. When you finally have your super-powerful character unleashed on the world, the credits come sooner than expected. My advice? Avoid the final conflict for a while in order to enjoy your now god-like powers; you'll be glad you did. Even if you do beat the game, and my barely five-hour first try felt leisurely to me, you can try again at a higher level keeping your experience, but losing your items and weapons.

No matter, you'll want to play again to see everything you missed.

There is also a set of training missions to practice using all the equipment you gain throughout the course of the game, as well as a series of challenge maps to test your skills against the clock and the rest of Xbox Live. Don't let my five-hour play time fool you; the game is filled with replay value. How many hours will you get out of it? That's completely up to you and your playing style, but if you had to find every inch of the map when you played past Castlevania/Metroid games, you won't be putting this down any time soon.

This doesn't feel like a downloadable title in quality or presentation; everything from the graphics to the voice acting and the somewhat pulpy story impresses on multiple levels. I can think of many moments and details and asides that stick out in my mind, but it's better for everyone if you simply play for yourself on Wednesday, August 19. I'm watching online videos and peeping screenshots, and I'm finding ways to tackle situations and use weapons that I completely missed the first time through.

It seems odd that an Xbox Live Arcade title may be one of the best games this season, but there it is: this is a must-play for those looking for a classic twist on a fresh challenge.

Originally posted by Yoweigh:Have you ever considered a career in sales or marketing? You sold this game to me in a single sentence...

They aren't the first ones to be saying this... a lot of the coverage of the game has talked about its "Metroidvania" heritage.

That being said, I am pleased to hear the final product is as good as I was hoping it was being hyped as being. Definitely treading on some tricky waters when you try swimming in the company of legendary titles like Super Metroid or Symphony Of The Night.

Originally posted by BrakDaddy:Anyone know if there's anything remotely like this on the PSN? 'cause if so, I'm buyin' it...

This one is definitely XBLA exclusive, it seems like MS adopted this the way Sony adopted pixeljunk.

I'm sure they did this is because of how unique it is. No one has really worked in this 2d action/adventure genre in a long time - outside of GBA remakes/sequels. And it sounds like they really crushed it.

There is Trine on Steam, afaik, a low graphics requirement recent action/adventure 2d release. But it doesn't resemble Metroid to this degree, more like coop 2d zelda.

This one is definitely XBLA exclusive, it seems like MS adopted this the way Sony adopted pixeljunk.

I'm sure they did this is because of how unique it is. No one has really worked in this 2d action/adventure genre in a long time - outside of GBA remakes/sequels. And it sounds like they really crushed it.

There is Trine on Steam, afaik, a low graphics requirement recent action/adventure 2d release. But it doesn't resemble Metroid to this degree, more like coop 2d zelda.

Danke. Been thinking of checking Trine out. May just have to break down and give it a go.

I know you got all excited, put on your best "I'm going to correct someone online!" face and typed that comment in a fit of ecstatic superiority, but this time... you missed the point. Don't worry though, stick around long enough and you'll find some other tiny mistake to feel smug about, I promise.

PC port please. I can't justify buying a games-only computer when I already have a more than capable computer hooked up to my HDTV. This game looks great.

The part about the ending reminds me of Fallout 3. I accidentally started the end-game right as I was maxing out lots of skills and picking up some excellent gear. I've been going back lately (now that I've given the game time to rest) and playing through again going different routes and running across all sorts of new content and side-quests.

I was a huge fan of SotN so that also sells me on this title. Modern PCs and consoles have the potential for some amazing 2D games. I would like to see more of them.

This review is another in a long line of promotions to buy a download. Same old promotional hype to buy large replaceable Hard Drives for your Game console, rather than purchase a DVD. Garbage in - Garbage out is the norm in buying downloads.

Originally posted by mailroomview2:This review is another in a long line of promotions to buy a download. Same old promotional hype to buy large replaceable Hard Drives for your Game console, rather than purchase a DVD. Garbage in - Garbage out is the norm in buying downloads.

Considering the XBLA games are fairly small (usually 150MB or less) and you can download a game as many times as you like, your reasoning fails. This isn't the same as downloading a full blown 360 title at 6 - 7GB.

Have we all gotten so used to poor controls and camera design that Shadow Complex gets a free pass? I was looking forward to buying the game with great anticipation given the glowing previews, but the demo quickly cured me of that. No Metroid (or even SotN) would be caught dead with gameplay this sloppy and framing this negligent.